Paris, Shawwal 5, 1438, Jun 29, 2017, SPA -- French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe pledged that France would reach the EU-mandated target of a maximum budget deficit of 3 per cent of gross domestic product through budget cuts, dpa reported. The country's top audit body said Thursday it had found a 8- to 9-billion-euro gap in the budget projections the previous government used to predict a 2.8 per cent deficit. "I want the French people to realize the seriousness of the shortfall," Philippe said. "It is as if the previous government had put together a budget without any spending on [the Ministry of] Justice," he said. The government was "committed to contain the deficit to 3 per cent with effect from this year," Philippe said. "We will not do it by raising taxes. We will do it by savings." Philippe did not indicate where the cuts might be made, but he said he would speak more on the subject Tuesday when he addresses the National Assembly on government policy. --SPA 19:40 LOCAL TIME 16:40 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w437788